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Opinionated Beer Review: Ka Pai - South Pacific IPA

If every producer would directly explain his product so nonchalant and passionate [without too much marketing b.s.]...

Sirocco - Dubai's specialized beer company, is bringing since several moons some craft beer to Dubai. And while I am still arguing, that it might not have been a great idea, of bringing English and then New Zealand crafts, instead of bringing the crafts from its cradle [the USA], I still very much appreciate, that they do the unheard off, and bring more than just products from multinational companies.

They are introducing the crafts on rotational basis, which has the advantage, that there is [finally] always something new on the market - but the disadvantage, that you will run out of luck, if you are finding your "dream-beer".

The lovely Laura, my keyaccount manager brought me a couple of bottles to try... Ka Pai is one of those.

Appearance: Well - the bottle is pretty - proper brown glass [so you don't get directly skunk if you would like to drink the beer in the bright Dubai sun]. The purple label says... [Ka Pai] - South Pacific IPA. So far so good.

The beer pours in a hazy dark gold - reminds me totally on a German naturally cloudy wheat beer. And the appearance isn't the only thing, which it has in common with mentioned beer - Steward Brewing also uses wheat in the mix.
The foam is nice and off white, but not as sturdy as the froth of wheat beer.

Smell: You can smell the exotic fruit aromas, you got a bit funk of yeast, a bit of citrus. Quite a lot of things going on. It is maybe not the best smelling beer around... but definitely very pleasant.

Taste: I tasted it straight out of the fridge, and it is hard to wait and not finish. It has definitely quite a lot of hops dancing on the tongue... and especially when it is cold, there is not as much body... when it warms slightly up, more malty notes are coming up, more the fruity yeast treats, a pleasant acidity, which reminds also on fruit.
There is also a distinctive alcohol warmth, which comes to the party - for me it isn't unpleasant - but at 5.2% it is a bit surprising.

Afterthought: This beer is rather fresh and doesn't linger as long - sure you have some bitterness, which definitely stays a couple of seconds behind. But that is all...

Thoughts: This is a proper beer. It taste very good. It isn't exactly the most impressive IPA I had in my life, for sure the hops are not the most earth-shattering. But then, it doesn't need to be always extreme. This is definitely a BBQ beer - if you have proper made food - why opting for some mediocre industrial mass produced beer? This would definitely do the trick.
And it is still an IPA. It will be definitely too bitter for some of my friends, which had some hop-problems with Samuel Adams Blue Ribbon... hahaha.

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